# under

Pronunciation: US say "UN-dur" /ˈʌndɚ/; UK say "UN-duh" /ˈʌndə/

## Preposition

1. Beneath or below something, covered by it, or passing beneath it from one side to the other.
   - Simple: Lower than something or covered by it, or going below it from one side to the other.
   - _We found the spare key under a flowerpot by the back door._
   - _She wore a sweater under her coat._
2. Subordinate to, controlled by, or in accordance with.
   - Simple: Controlled or ruled by, or according to, as in 'under the law'.
   - _She worked under a strict manager for years._
   - _Under the treaty, both sides withdrew._
3. Subject to, affected by, or undergoing something, such as a process, a condition, or a force or attack.
   - Simple: Going through something or affected by it, like repair, pressure, or an attack.
   - _The bridge is under repair until May._
   - _He is under pressure to resign._
4. Less than; below a stated figure.
   - Simple: Less than a number or amount, as in 'under an hour'.
   - _The car cost just under ten thousand._
   - _He ran the mile in under four minutes._
5. Within the category, heading, or classification of.
   - Simple: In a group or heading, as in 'filed under B'.
   - _The book is shelved under history, not politics._
   - _Her name appears under 'contributors'._
6. Using or adopting a particular name or identity.
   - Simple: Using a certain name or identity, as in 'under a false name' or 'under her own name'.
   - _The band recorded under three different names._
   - _After escaping from prison, he worked for years as a cook under a false name._

## Adverb

8. In or to a lower position, below the surface, or so as to pass beneath something.
   - Simple: Down to a lower place, below the water, or below something.
   - _The boat rolled and went under._
   - _His brother playfully pushed him under, and he came up spluttering and laughing._
7. Usually in compounds, less than is adequate; insufficiently.
   - Simple: Not enough, as a prefix, as in 'underwatered' or 'underpaid'.
   - _The report says the region is underfunded._
   - _The chicken was undercooked in the middle._
9. In or into an unconscious state, as when hypnotized or anesthetized. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Into a sleep-like state, as in 'go under' with a hypnotist or a drug.
   - _Count backward from ten and you will go under._
   - _The hypnotist put three volunteers under in less than a minute._
11. So as to be defeated, ruined, or killed.
   - Simple: Into failure or ruin, as in 'the shop went under'.
   - _Without a loan the farm will go under._
   - _The champion finally went under in the twelfth round._

## Adjective

10. In medicine, anesthetized or sedated. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Put to sleep by a drug for an operation, in medical slang.
   - _The anesthetist checked that she was still under._
   - _Patients are under for only a few minutes._
12. Lower; situated beneath something.
   - Simple: Lower, or on the underside, as in 'the under part'.
13. Used predicatively, in a state of subordination, submission, or defeat.
   - Simple: Kept down, defeated or obedient, as in 'keep the people under'.
   - _For decades the landlords kept the villagers under with high rents and the constant threat of eviction._
   - _He kept his temper under with an effort._
14. Low or insufficient in some respect that the context supplies. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Low or not enough in a way the situation makes clear, as in 'a bit under' or 'two under' in golf.
   - _The loaf came out under, still doughy inside._
   - _She finished the tournament two under._

## Noun

15. The amount by which an actual total is less than the expected or required amount, as when a cash count comes up short.
   - Simple: The amount by which a total falls short, as in 'overs and unders'.
   - _The bank tracks every teller's overs and unders, and a steady pattern of shortfalls gets a closer look._
   - _If the drawer shows an under of more than ten dollars at closing, the shift manager has to recount it with a witness._
16. Something whose measure is low or too low. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Something that is low or too low in some way, like a fish below the legal size.
   - _Throw the under back; it's below the legal size._
   - _By noon we had kept two good-sized trout and released all the unders._
17. In gambling, a bet that a statistic such as total points will finish below a stated line.
   - Simple: A bet that a score will be lower than a set number.
   - _The bookmaker set the line at forty and she backed the under._
   - _With both teams' best players injured, she put fifty dollars on the under and won easily._

## Origin

The word comes from Middle English "under," from Old English "under," going back to Proto-Germanic "*under." This root arose from a merger of Proto-Indo-European words meaning "under" and "inside," and it is related to German "unter," Dutch "onder," and Danish and Norwegian "under," as well as Sanskrit "antar" ("within") and Latin "infrā" ("below") and "inter" ("between").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/under (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).